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CityLedger

Elkhart vs Yakima

Metro-area medians — Elkhart-Goshen, IN Metro Area vs Yakima, WA Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Elkhart comes out ahead, winning 6 of the 9 clearly-decided measures.

Elkhart is about 6% cheaper to live in, while Yakima households earn about 8% more. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Elkhart, IN
$59,064
take-home / yr · 21% to tax
$65,390
real value after local prices
Yakima, WA
$61,314
take-home / yr · 18% to tax
$64,172
real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Elkhart leaves you about $1,218/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure
Elkhart
Yakima
Livability (CityLedger)
40/100
30/100
Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
90.3
95.5
Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)
$77,356
$78,915
Median household income
$69,872
$75,399
Median rent
$1,047/mo
$1,106/mo
Median home value
$239,500
$349,900
Unemployment
4.5%
7.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher
22.1%
20%
Average commute
22.8 min
22 min
Air quality (median AQI)
45
37
Avg temperature
50°F
51°F

Choose Elkhart for

  • + Livability (CityLedger)
  • + Cost of living (price level, US = 100)
  • + Median rent
  • + Median home value
  • + Unemployment
  • + Bachelor's degree or higher
Full Elkhart profile →

Choose Yakima for

  • + Median household income
  • + Average commute
  • + Air quality (median AQI)
Full Yakima profile →

Elkhart vs Yakima — frequently asked

Is Elkhart cheaper than Yakima?
Elkhart is cheaper: its overall cost of living runs about 6% below Yakima's (BEA Regional Price Parities).
Which has higher household income, Elkhart or Yakima?
Yakima has the higher median household income — $75,399 versus $69,872 (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS), about 8% more.
Does a paycheck go further in Elkhart or Yakima?
It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($77,356 versus $78,915).
Which has cheaper rent, Elkhart or Yakima?
Elkhart has cheaper rent — a median of $1,047/mo versus $1,106/mo (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).